


Is it alright if I sit here?

by TheInsomniacReader



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Abuse, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Guilt, Love, Self-Doubt, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Worthshipping, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21779488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInsomniacReader/pseuds/TheInsomniacReader
Summary: You've just moved to Lestallum and have been asked out on a date, little did you know, it wasn't the date you expected. Things took a turn for the worse until a certain blond guy takes that opportunity to get to know you better.Trigger warning: this short fic deals with heavy subjects! Self-harm, abuse, self-doubt. Read at your own discretion.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Original Female Character(s), Prompto Argentum/Reader
Kudos: 25





	Is it alright if I sit here?

**Author's Note:**

> So I came up with this idea recently after thinking back of my previous online-dating experiences (although I only met two people irl. Of which one, is my current long-time boyfriend who I live with). So uh yeah, enjoy!

You sighed into your map of the town. Not only were you fairly new, but you also had the _worst_ sense of direction. It had been exactly two days since you moved into your new apartment, but going down the street was a bit of a chore. Which was sort of alright, you enjoyed exploring. 

After taking a right turn, you stowed the map away and followed the smell of fresh bread - that ought to take you to the right street, you thought and so you took another right and ended up in the city center. With a smile plastered on your face, you walked to the nearest cafe and managed to squeeze into the building without pushing people aside too much. You cringed at the number of people, but still swiftly looked around for a seat.

"You can sit here if you'd like?" You turned your head to see if the question was aimed at you, which it was. A tallish, brown-haired guy was sitting at a table of two but it was just him sitting there. He waved a little and smiled shyly at you. Your heart fluttered lightly, he was a handsome man. 

"A-are you sure?" He just nodded and took a sip of his drink. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of green and his teeth were pearly white - not movie-star white, but a lovely healthy shade. You took the seat opposite of him and flipped through the menu that was laid in front of you. 

"I saw you on the train the other day, you must be new here." He started the conversation after a short uncomfortable silence. 

"Yeah, I moved here two days ago. I can't quite wrap my head around the town map, it's a little... complicated I suppose." You pushed your fringe behind your ear and eyed your sleeve. It was the start of summer, your least favorite season. Summer meant heat and heat meant people looking at you weirdly for wearing long sleeves. 

"I know what you mean, every street here is quite different though, so it won't take you long to find points to memorize." You only nodded in return and skimmed through the menu once more. The boar salad looked appealing. 

"Are you ready to order, miss?" You pointed at the salad and thanked the waitress before she hurried off to the kitchen. Your eyes shifted back to your hands as you waited for your meal. It wasn't that you weren't social, you just didn't know how to act around people. You grew up in your grandparents' house after the incident at your parents' house. Seeing as you were a troubled child who got bullied in school, you started developing anxiety and severe depression. You weren't ugly, nor fat or anything else what kids get bullied for these days - you were just a quiet kid. There you have it, everyone could get bullied, regardless of race or weight or anything for that matter.

The early signs of depression showed around age 10, when you started banging your head against walls, screaming 'the words are hurting me!' Your father was a workaholic and your mother eventually got tired of trying to fix you - so they dumped you at your grandparents'. Not that you blamed them, you were a nuance, you thought. But that also meant you were homeschooled until you reached 18, were put on a variety of medication until you moved out at 20. You stopped taking the medication as a result of physical health issues, nonetheless, you felt like they never worked in the first place. But all in all, it meant you didn't know how to deal with life. Your grandparents were lovely people and took extremely good care of you and paid for the apartment you moved into - but you still felt something was missing.

"Are you alright? You look a little pale," the guy said and he paused for a little while, before continuing. "My name is Neski, what's yours?" You introduced yourself to him and apologised for being a little awkward. 

"It's quite alright, you just seem like you're not happy." He took a bite of his now most likely cold pasta and kept his gaze on you. You quickly looked away and ate your salad in silence for the remainder of the dinner. 

"I'm sorry," you said again before reaching out to your glass of water. It was close to the middle of the table and your sleeve shifted a little. Neski frowned and took a hold of your hand.

"What's that, are you hurt?" He said calmly. You shook your head and yanked your arm out of his grip.

"N-no I'm fine, it's nothing. I got to go now, it's getting late and I still have a few boxes to unpack." He wiped his hands with a napkin and got up at the same time as you.

"It was nice meeting you, would you like to go out again sometime?" You blinked rapidly. _'He... wants to see me again? Me? I was so sure I scared him away.'_ Your thoughts brought your mood down, but you shook it off quickly before replying.

"Yeah, I'd like that." He took a step closer and slightly spread his arms. You were reluctant to hugging a stranger, but you were fond of him, he was nice to you.

"So, Friday at 7:00, meet up here? I'll take you to a nice restaurant." You smiled lightly at him and nodded. You watched him walk off in a different direction, but you stood still. You just moved here and already got a date!

* * *

It was 6:30 already and all you'd done in the past few days was unpacking, calling your grandparents and memorizing the map so you could buy a new outfit for your date. You slipped into your high waist skate skirt and a slightly baggy white t-shirt. You were a simple woman, you loved jeans and sneakers, but sometimes you liked to present yourself a little fancier. You pulled up your knee socks and put on a pair of sweatbands and made your way into the city with your favourite shoulder bag. By the time you arrived, it was already 7:00 as you stopped multiple times to watch the city glow up as dusk fell. The cafe just opened half an hour ago, so there wasn't anyone in. You took a seat outside and watched the town come alive. People left their houses and walked through the streets, it was an amazing view. You picked at your sweatband, anxiety washing over you as time ticked on. _'What if he shows up looking much nicer than me? I should've gone for the laced top and the high heels...'_ Your thoughts wandered off, but you didn't let it put you down. You straightened your back and looked ahead, left and right. He wasn't there yet. 

It neared 8 as you checked your watch and wondered if he was working late, whatever his job would be. Or maybe he... forgot? _'Who would even forget about a date?'_ You shook your head and sighed deeply. You decided to wait a little longer and stood up to sit down at a table a little closer to the heater. It may be summer, but the nights were still cold, even in Lestallum. You watched a group of four guys pass you, two of them looking rather annoyed and the other two goofing around. One of them had blond hair and had a camera in his hand. He was quite attractive you thought. It was almost as if he read your mind, seeing as he stared right at you. He was only about five meters away from you, but you could tell he was blushing a little. The black haired guy followed his gaze and nudged him in the side, it made you giggle a bit. They didn't stop in their tracks, though, they made their way to the food stalls just less than fifty meters away. 

It was almost 8:30 when you heard someone shuffle behind you. You almost jumped and turned around. It was Neski. 

"Hello." He said, his voice strangely annoyed. "You came." He stated. You nodded.

"S-so, I-" He stepped away from you and looked behind him, waving at two guys in the distance. 

"Guys! She _actually_ waited for me!" He grinned while the two guys made their way to you two. "She's insane, I told you." You blinked, unsure what was going on.

"Dear Shiva, you really know how to pick up girls, don't you? This is like, the seventh chick in two days! You're mental." One of the guys said, trying not to laugh. 

"I'm mental? She is!" Your lip started quivering in fear, he was acting completely different than last time - or he was actually acting last time and this was the real Neski. This is why you never trusted people.

"She looks kinda normal to me. Not too ugly though," he winked at you and you hastily looked away.

"She's one of those... what do you call it, self-mutilators. I saw it with my own eyes! She's crazy, man." You stood up, not wanting to be there any longer. 

"Woah, hold up! You wanted to go on a date yeah? I'm here now!" He started chuckling and gripped my arm.

"No, I'd rather just go home." You replied softly, but he didn't let go. His hand hovered over your arm.

"Ah, sorry, no can do." He yanked off your sweatband and raised your arm in the air. "Look!" All three of them started laughing as tears formed in your eyes.

"I wonder what someone like you can be sad about. You seem like a virgin, and it doesn't look like you've been abused in your life." One of the other guys said.

"But, not gonna lie, she isn't ugly." A slap on your butt followed that statement, which made you yelp. You pulled away from Neski and tried to take a step back, but the other two caught you straight away.

"Nah, we'd like to have a _little_ more fun with you," Neski said and slipped his hand under your skirt. You yelped again and started sobbing this time.

"I guess nobody taught you lot to respect women eh?" A muscular man stepped up to you all and placed a hand on Neski's shoulder. He flinched and immediately let you go. The intimidating guy cracked his knuckles and shoved the other two aside. "So, which one of you would like to fight?" You took the opportunity to step away and shakily walked to the bench beside a fountain and wrapped your arms around your upper body. Your breathing quickened and all you wanted to do, was cave in. It had been exactly eight days and two hours since your last relapse and you assumed moving cities would _help._

You looked up and noticed someone walk up to you, which made you scoot further away in fear. It wasn't until you looked closer, you knew it was the blond from before.

"Eh, hey," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I-is it alright if I sit here?" He motioned to the empty spot next to you. You pulled your knees up to your chest and nodded slowly.

"We saw what happened, are you alright?" His voice was soothing and gentle. "Oh!" He said suddenly and unwrapped the bandanna from your upper arm. He straightened it a little before handing it to you, with a shy smile plastered on his face. You actually felt at ease and decided to take it and wiped your tears. "B-but no blowing your nose please!" He said half-joking. You chuckled and placed your feet back on the ground. 

"I'm Prompto. I eh, saw you sitting on that chair earlier and I... Well... C-can I take a photo of you?" He covered his face in embarrassment. You looked down to your uncovered wrist and quickly hid your arm. 

"I-it's just... The lighting here is _so_ good and you're really beautiful." He jerked up. "I'm sorry! I mean I... I..." You breathed in deeply and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." He took his camera out and adjusted it before shooting several photos. You were told to act normal and so you did - or rather, tried. 

After what seemed like an entire photoshoot, he walked back up to you and took off his vest. 

"Lestallum can be pretty chilly at night, even if the days are hot." You nodded and let him put his vest on you. His touch was warm... kind.

"Hey eh, the guys are gone. My friend must've scared them off - anyway, would you want me to walk you back home? I-I just don't feel comfortable knowing a woman is walking alone in the dark on a friday night." You blinked and apparently your mouth hung slightly open.

"Of course you can say no! I get it if you don't trust me - oh, wait!" He jogged off around the corner and came back dragging someone with him.

"Prompto, this was supposed to be your time to shine... Ugh, yes okay, OKAY!" The black-haired guy yanked his hand back and followed him, once he stepped into the street lights, you realised who it was.

"Maybe this will make you feel a little safer?" You eyed the guy, who happened to be the Prince! 

"P-prince... Noctis?" You blinked again and shook your head. "No, I must be delusional or something. Why would the Prince be here and talking to me?" You gripped onto your hair and pulled at it.

"Woah, it's just Noctis, okay?" You bit your lip, your breathing fastened. 

"Hey, hey! It's alright. We're best friends and he hates being called Prince - he doesn't even act like one!" A soft "HEY!" followed. Prompto slowly wrapped his hands around your wrists and pulled them away from your head. You looked up and stared into his eyes. "Breathe, please?" You breathed in deeply and had it under control in mere seconds. 

"Ignis just texted me that they handled the situation and they'll be heading over to the hotel, so... I guess that means we'll both walk you home." You nodded and told them your name and street. Noctis walked in front of you and Prompto by your side. He took into account what happened earlier and didn't walk too close, but made sure to look over to you every now and then to make sure you were alright.

"Thank you guys for walking me home. W-would you like to come in?" Noctis placed his hands behind his head and groaned.

"Eh, I should find Ignis and Gladios, they probably wonder where we- I mean, Prompto doesn't have any plans, right?" The blond jerked up and his face turned a soft shade of red. 

"I-I can come in for a bit." Noctis grinned at the two of you being shy and handed Prompto a key, presumably from their hotel room.

"We'll be heading back, just let us know when you'll come back. It was nice to meet you, by the way- I mean, not you know. Anyway, we should all hang out sometime again. We've got a week left before we have head out again, so." He shrugged and turned around, walking off into the dark. 

Prompto followed you inside your apartment, which was located on the ground floor and closed the door behind him. It was small, almost college-small, but cozy. First thing Prompto noticed was the bookshelf with games and manga. 

"Y-you like games?" You turned around and smiled at him. 

"It's kind of my getaway. To dive into a completely different world, to be a hero, or a spy - or an assassin." You weaved your hands together before sitting down on the couch. 

"I get what you mean, it's nice to live in a different world, just for a little while." You giggled.

"You tour around with the Prince, how different could you possibly _want_ to live?" He smiled and put his camera on the coffee table. You shrugged off his vest and handed it back and turned on the PS4. "I've always dreamed of being normal, to travel around the world. To be a hero - you know... while still being normal."

"So you want to be like me?" Prompto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "We... live a dangerous life, I assume you've heard the news of Insomnia?" You nodded and looked down to your hands. 

"We're headed to Altissia for Noctis to wed Luna. But that isn't until next week and we needed a break from all the hunting and driving, you know?" 

"I guess that makes a lot of sense. I also came here for a break." He stared you down and took a seat next to you.

"Yeah, I figured... Are you okay?" You smiled.

"I am, yes." He shook his head and slightly turned to you.

"I mean... Are you _really_ okay?" He looked at your arm. "Did you do this to yourself?" His question dripped with hurt... but also kindness. You pushed your hair behind your ear again.

"Life... Can be harsh sometimes. All I've ever wanted, was to be normal, you know?" 

After a comfortable silence, you invited a him to play Assassin's Creed with you and played for a couple of hours, before he received a call from an "Ignis," and he had to leave. He apologised and thanked you for the hospitality and made his way back to the hotel. He gave you the name of the hotel and the room number as well as his cell number, just to stay in touch. Noctis _did_ say you all should hang out again after all.

Sadly your good mood didn't last much longer and you fell back into a deep dark state. Today's incident rolled back into your mind and the memory you stashed away, came flooding back. Your eyes started to water as you started panicking. While in mind that you'd probably feel better in the morning, you decided to boil water and make some tea. You only ever drank tea if you were nose-diving into darkness. You touched the spot where Neski touched you. Inner thigh, right leg, _just_ below the hem of your underwear. Bile rose and you ran, slightly bent over, to the bathroom. You didn't make it in time and today's lunch splattered across the white tiles. You were sobbing louder than before and as you tried to stand up, you slipped and fell on your side. It wasn't the pain of the fall, but the mental pain that made you curl up in a fetus position. You laid there for what seemed an hour, until the emotions got the best of you and all you wanted, was to feel nothing. 

With a wet skirt and dirty knees, you crawled to the cabinet next to the sink and took your powder box from the bottom shelf. You twisted it open and revealed a sharp metal piece from under the powder cushion. You never wore make up, so it was the perfect hiding place since you lived with your grandparents. Your breathing quickened just thinking about relapsing, not so much in a bad sense, but more the thought of being able to breathe again.

The metal piece was pinched between your thumb and index finger. You absolutely didn't want to relapse again, but this time, there was no stopping you. The razor reflected the bathroom light as you pressed it down on your skin. It was a familiar feeling you had quite the love-hate relationship with. You dragged the stainless steel piece across, just below your other recent lines. It almost looked like art in your eyes, art that should be hated and destroyed. You weren't proud of it, not at all. But you weren't ashamed either, it was a way of coping with the emotions that overflowed like a bucket of water in a sinking boat. You couldn't remember the first time you harmed yourself, apart from the first time you pulled your hair out - that wasn't quite deliberately. They just called it a manic episode, in which you got 'lost.'

After repeating the ritual three or four times, you woke up and looked at the criss-crossed mess you made on your pale skin. It scared you, you hadn't done this much damage before. You dropped the blade and pulled a towel from the edge of the sink and wrapped it around your arm. You breathed deeply and stared at the gore-ish mix of yellow and blood on the floor in front of you and on your clothing. 

An hour later, you'd cleaned up the floor and wrapped up your wrist. Only a moment later, you received a text. 

**Prompto: Hey, you haven't texted me yet. Are you ok?**

You smiled and texted back.

**You: I'm fine, what are you up to?**

**Prompto: Not much! I want to play Kings Knight, but nobody will play with me ><**

**You: That's a shame, it's SUCH a good game.**

**Prompto: It is! Noct and Iggy just went straight to bed and Gladios is out for a run. I'm so bored!**

You thought of something to reply, but he didn't give you much time before he sent you another text.

**Prompto: Want to come over tomorrow? We bought the new horror game that came out and this room has a console! You got to bring your own controller though.**

**You: Sounds good. What time?**

**Prompto: 4:00? I'll get some snacks. Gladio wants to train Noctis tomorrow so it's just us and Iggy, if thats okay?**

**You: Sure! See you then**

You grinned and re-read the texts. Prompto was so bright and kind, he was one of the few reasons that made you get up in the mornings.

The clock showed 3:35 and you looked in the mirror once more. Sneakers, high waist skinny jeans with your chocobo top tucked in and a black vest. You locked the door behind you and made your way to the hotel. You became a little nervous, but this time it was mostly excitement. You knocked on the door and a tall, handsome man opened the door. "Yes?"

"I-I'm here to hang out with Prompto." His posture changed slightly and his face more friendly.

"Ah, yes, come in. My apologies, you cannot be too cautious these days." You nodded and bowed.

"Nice to meet you, you must be Ignis." 

"Yes, I've heard quite a bit about you. I'm terribly sorry for yesterday's events. They will certainly not be bothering you again, I can assure you." He paused for a moment and let you in. Then he continued. "Are you doing alright?" You realised he looked at your arm, which was poorly bandaged.

"I'm good, thank you." You turned and saw the blond sitting on the couch in the living area, staring at the tv. He'd already started playing the game. You bowed to Ignis once more before speed-walking to Prompto.

"What, you couldn't wait for me?" You almost yelled, which made Prompto jump up.

"AH, OH EM GEE. Don't sneak up on me like that!" You laughed and took your limited edition Assassin's Creed controller from your purse and dropped it on the couch next to him. 

"I didn't sneak up, I walked up to you normally." You stated and dropped your purse on the table before sitting down on the couch next to him. 

Ignis came up to both of you and put down a bowl of chips. "Normally I don't endorse unhealthy habits, but this is an exception. Very well, do enjoy yourselves." He adjusted his glasses and shot another look at your wrist before taking his leave.

Prompto held up the controller and stared in awe. "Dude, this controller is _so_ hard to get! There were only 50 made! How did you get it?" You grinned.

"A girl never reveals her secrets." Prompto let out a length 'aahww' before handing you your controller back. You took it with your left hand and when you pulled it, he didn't let go. You looked him in the eye before realising what he was staring at. 

He whispered your name. "You're not alright," he said with a sad and concern voice, mostly to himself. He straightened his back and sighed, then unwrapped the bandanna from his arm again and tied it around your wrist. His hands were rough yet soft and his touch was kind but not too delicate. He, for one, didn't talk or touch you like you were made of porcelain and you could respect that. 

"We all want to be normal sometimes," he said, yet again mostly to himself. He looked you in the eye and smiled. "You may not be a hero that saves the world and stuff, but you can be the hero of your own world." He looked away for a second before continuing, "but only if you let me be your sidekick!" You looked down at the bandanna and felt tears run down your face. 

"But what if the sidekick saves the hero?" You said, without taking your eyes off your arm. 

"Hmm, well..." He lifted your chin up and wiped your tears. "Who says they can't save each other?" Prompto looked you in the eye, his cheeks burning up. You placed one hand on his cheek and leaned closer. Before you could move any closer, the door swung open and a very grumpy Noctis and agitated Gladios barged in. 

"Ehhh, you only won because I was hungry. I can't fight on an empty stomach." Noctis said with his hands behind his head. 

"Your last excuse was because you had just woken up from a nap. A _five_ hour nap." Gladios shot back, visibly irritated.

"But I was!" 

"You're clearly not in good shape. Where even _are_ your muscles?" 

"Ahem," Ignis cleared his throat and stared at you from the corner of his eyes.

"I think we interrupted something," Gladios whispered to the Prince. 

"Is that the limited edition controller?!" Noctis sprinted to you and snatched it from your hands. "Ahhh, I'm the prince and even _I_ couldn't get my hands on this!" His eyes lit up. You giggled at his enthusiasm. 

Ignis joined you three and spoke up. "Your grandparents send their regards." You tilted your head in confusion. How did he know them?

"Ah, perhaps I should explain. I've worked with them for several years, they used to serve King Regis. They've asked me to keep an eye on you." You blinked rapidly and looked back and forth between Gladios and Ignis. None of them seemed surprised. 

"Alright, out with it Iggy, come on," Gladios said, rolling his eyes after also joining in.

"One of our tasks was to look after you, as supposedly you're a descendant of the family of Fleuret. We knew you moved to Lestallum and the King himself, ordered us to make sure you were alright." He paused briefly. "You are to join us to Altissia, if... You desire, of course." 

"So wait... You guys knew me all along?"

"We knew _about_ you, we'd heard stories and rumors. But we never thought you'd be this awesome," Noctis said, still holding your controller. Gladios nodded as to confirm his words. Prompto just smiled and then looked away as he started blushing. 

"A word, please?" Ignis said and you followed him into the kitchen whilst you heard whispering and giggling in the background. You heard your name and "cute" and "pretty," and Prompto shot you a shy look several times.

"What's wrong, Ignis?" You said almost politely.

"I want you to know, we're all very close - we share the closest bond, actually. Not only that, we're there for each other, every step of the way. Always, Noctis is our priority - but in any case, know when you join us, we will also be there for you. Perhaps you could share _your_ story, when you're ready." You nodded and stepped back. "Oh, Prompto seems quite fond of you." Your face turned red, which earned a smile from the tall friend. You joined the others again, who were now fighting over who gets to play first. You grinned and shook your head.

Maybe your life wasn't normal and that's okay. You learnt that people are normal in their own way as well as crazy in their own way. The fact that they had your back and didn't question or ridicule you, made you feel like you mattered. And that not everyone treats you like you are made of porcelain.

Maybe the future will be a little brighter from now on.


End file.
